The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-31


and nropbecies Of these? Verify,
am | not wiser than you, / who by
taking the lesser as men count great
ness got the greater, as | conceive.
A modest level of life, unvexed by
clamorous ambitions and their ac-
compapying dislppointments, filled
with things that make for peace and
sweeten the passing hours. Do you
think, rich men or famous, that you
could buy from me with your money
or your little fame, which will not
keep your name alive decade after
YOU have gone down to death, this
healthy, peaceful, innocent life of
mine among tho hills, or make me
swap with you the pleasures of this
bright, brisk day and cleaning deck
for all your pile of pelf or rush-like
fame2
My yacht2 Ali you are a yachts,
man, eh, and would know something
of the little craft that is TO carry
me, if God 50 wills, SO many miles,
and take her chances OF rough
weather and rough water along
strange shores2 Forty feet over all
that's all. 10 depth three feet amid
ship; at Tie stern, four. Her bot.
tom is fat, as a sharpie's must be,
elk feet at the widest point and on
the deck nine. You can figure her
flare yourself. Her sheer is shapely
aud her lines are easy to water and
eye alike. Her bowsprit runs TWEEN
ty feet beyond her stem, and from
bowsprit cap to main boom's end is
seventy feet. A long line for lower
canvass, you see, as every yacht
should have. She carries mainsail,
foresail, jib and flying jib, and 10
racing trim two large square top.
sails. Her top masts are twenty
six and twenty'four feet. Her masts
are forty feet, She spreads, in cruis-
ing rig, 1900 feet OF canvass and in
racing trim 1900 feet. Her center
board is sixteen feet long by three
inches thick, aud is loaded with $500
pounds Of iron. Her coaming is
twelve inches in hight. She is
decked ten feet, fore and aft, and
her pathways are twenty-five inches
wide. Her tiller works wholly
within the cockpit and all her
sheets lead aft within reach OF the
helmsman's hand. Her color is pure
white as to the hull; her deck Of
white pine aud ash 10 native colors;
being simply spar vanished. Such
is the craft mes comrades, lovers
with me OF sails and oars, that de-
signed and built for this cruise in
Northern waters and 10 Southern
waters too, next year If all goes well
with me and mine, for this little craft
must sail tho two great CULTS aud
course the mighty currents Of the
two great rivers Of the continent be
fore she iurls her sails for rest. And
from her deck, on which / sit wri
ting with the sunlight fading along
the Canadian hills, | send you q
yaohtsman's greeting. May we NEE,
in race or cruise on some future day
What a splendid iroemasonry this
is Of outdoor life How gentle and
generous the rivalriesl Which head
shall dive deepest in the cool depths
I or speck the white surf farthest from
shore2 Which rod shall lift the
heaviest trout, or gun show TO it'
credit the fullest bag of game
Whose deck shall shine the cleanest
or whose white sails shall lead th,
| Heet to evenings anchorage Who's,
table OF bark shall boast the tender
est vcnison, OF lodge front displa.
for ornament the noblest spread o
antlersl Whose rifle is truest 10 tn
camp when food is scarce, or is silen
longest when game is plenty aud th,
larder overlull2 These are the gen
erous aud healthy riyalrics OF GU
out door life, which stimulate bu
never fret, aud leave both victor an,
vanquished healthy aud happy still
Compare with these tho scramble
for wealth, the riyalrics OF gain, tn
suicidal despair OF some, the val
aud boastiul bearing OF others, III
bitterness aud ruin Of those VIII
lose, the arrogance OF thos
who win, the sneoripg envying
and ranking jeAlousies, ripening I
| hatred as the years 60 on whic
characterize the lives men live ]
store, Office aud street aud note Oh
contrast. Who OF Us frank spoke
and sweet hearted vagabonds OF I'd
and field. of deck and camp, are en-
yious OF any2 Esch man We meet
comradc, fellow picnicor, brothC
manxpartnor OF ours in the swe'
profits OF our healthy, happy, natu
raj life. Mild hammered aud ligl
hearted wanderers, boys with smoot
} OF wriukled faces gray headed son
of Us, but boys still, thank Go'
! disciples Of the rod aud gun love
of oar and sail canoeists, camper
I yaoh,su en-, our fires are lighted on
? thousand shores and our eyeniI
song l0ats over a thousand lakes AT
| island studded rivers. We are
{ family o. saints. Our spirits ha,
, been touched aud soitcned by Il
c sweet grace Of nature. We ha,
$ been indoctrinatcd in the trutl
y which shine out OF stars aud whit
{ the blue heaven declares
9 noon aud night. The leay
f of the oatechisn We ha'
4 studied have been the howery mea
ows. the yoicciul slopes OF mountlir
4 the shining beaches, the whisperi
4 leaves Of trees, the thunder shak
7 armament. or the star-lishted dep
v q, the level waters, from these u
" Calyinistic textbooks we ha
learned sweet lessons Of God, who
!. gontleness we saw on the very leay
|. we studied, our souls have drank
n the waters Of lie fresh from natl
!. fountain, aud our spirits have bath
n in the rivers which flow from {
|. throne Of Him whose voice Is as {
10 sound of many waters. All hail,
a healthy bodied, healthy mind'
NJ kindly. hearted and gentle-manncr
n saints OF food and field, Of hill a
n river, u oar aud sail, OF deck a
ii camp, your .smiliug faces rise Def,
a me In thousands, aud your voices,
= happy talk aud joke aud song, o0l
/, from alar and stir the silence ardu